A Birmingham mosque and community centre has been vandalised with racist graffiti twice within 48 hours, leaving worshippers fearful for their safety.
The Jami Community and Education Centre on Kettle Road in Kingstanding was first targeted in the early hours of Wednesday, with the slur “terrorists” painted on its walls – while a second incident followed on Friday.
Volunteer Khalid Hussein told the BBC that windows at the premises had also been smashed approximately two weeks earlier.
West Midlands Police have increased patrols in the surrounding area and confirmed they are treating the vandalism as racially and religiously aggravated criminal damage due to the nature of the graffiti
Officers have also launched an appeal for information from the public.
Mr Hussein described the repeated attacks as deliberate efforts to intimidate those who worship at the centre, and disturb the tranquillity of the local neighbourhood.
“Our mosque has been under attack – they are not isolated incidents,” he said.
However, he insisted that those responsible had not achieved their goal of dividing the community.
“Clearly, while these individuals have tried to tear us apart, they have only succeeded in stitching us closer together,” Mr Hussein added.
The volunteer emphasised that the centre wanted authorities to treat the situation with appropriate seriousness and ensure that community members felt both protected and listened to.
Rather than creating division among worshippers, Mr Hussein said the vandalism had strengthened bonds within the congregation, with the perpetrators failing to cause “a rift” as intended.
An emergency community meeting was convened on Wednesday, bringing together council officials, police representatives and local residents to address the escalating situation.
Paulette Hamilton MP, who attended the gathering, spoke of the profound impact on those who use the centre.
“The community is living in fear. They feel they are not safe in the local area,” she said, “they feel the building is no longer safe to come to”.
Fellow MP Ayoub Khan shared similar concerns, noting that anxiety had spread among residents.
Clearly an attack of a premises of any institution of one faith group is going to have an affect on all members of our community,” he said.
The meeting highlighted growing unease about safety in the Kingstanding area at large.
West Midlands Police stated they take all forms of hate crime seriously, with officers reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity and conducting door-to-door enquiries.
Chief Inspector Vicki Stott said: “Any type of racist or harmful graffiti will not be tolerated and we are committed to identifying and detaining whoever is responsible”.
Superintendent Haroon Chughtai condemned the vandalism, calling any attempt to spread hatred in Birmingham “deplorable”.
“We simply don’t tolerate any form of racist or hateful graffiti, and we are working at pace to find whoever was responsible,” he said.
Police urged anyone with relevant footage, including CCTV, dashcam or doorbell video recordings, to come forward.
Neighbourhood officers remain in regular contact with mosque leaders and worshippers to provide reassurance as the investigation continues.
